Thousands claim exposure in 9/11 aftermath. David Worby is now at the helm of what he calls the largest and most important class-action lawsuit in U.S. history, representing thousands of people he says are dying at an accelerated pace from exposure to toxins at Ground Zero.
White Plains Journal News
Kyoto promises are nothing but hot air. Many governments, including some that claim to be leading the fight against global warming, are harbouring a dirty little secret. These countries are emitting far more greenhouse gas than they say they are. New Scientist
A close call for the Clean Water Act. Justice Kennedy rightly fends off attempt to undermine protection of U.S. Waterways. San Jose Mercury News
Hanford plant cost rises to $11.55 billion. The cost to build a waste treatment plant at the highly contaminated Hanford Nuclear Reservation in south-central Washington has risen to $11.55 billion.
Seattle PI
Protect clean water. Congress must once again come to the rescue of the nation's waterways by passing the Clean Water Authority Restoration Act. Eugene Register Guard
Report calls chemical plants still vulnerable to attack. A congressional investigative agency warned yesterday that the federal government still has no realistic ability to make sure that high-risk chemical plants are protected against terrorist attack. Newark Star-Ledger
Bioengineering guides issued. Federal food regulators announced a step toward guarding against genetic engineering experiments that could contaminate corn, grain or other crops. Baltimore Sun
Flood toll approaches 200 as rescue efforts continue in Indonesia. The death toll after floods and landslides in Indonesia's South Sulawesi province approached 200 Thursday as workers trawled through mud and scoured nearby islands for more bodies and survivors. Agence France-Presse.
French extend water rationing amid drought fears. France extended water rationing on Wednesday, with about a quarter of the country now subject to curbs amid fears of another summer drought, the environment ministry said. Reuters.
Rapid urbanization alters local climate. Rapid urbanization and other human activities have altered the climate on the Korean Peninsular and degraded the ecosystem, according to a government study. Seoul Korea Times, South Korea
Senators urge President Bush to reduce pollution over next decade. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) signed a letter he and other senators will send President Bush on Thursday, urging him to ensure that pollution causing global warming will decrease within 10 years. Farmington Daily Times, New Mexico
Governor appoints group to study effects of climate change. Gov. Ted Kulongoski appointed business leaders, scientists and sustainability experts to the Climate Change Integration Group to continue state efforts to address global warming. Silverton Appeal Tribune
Landslides, floods kill 114 in Indonesia. Landslides and floods on Indonesia's eastern Sulawesi island have killed 114 people and the toll could rise further, officials said on Wednesday. Reuters
Pandemics require new cooperation. We live in a world of pandemics, some potential and some quite real; both are unmistakably threats to national and international security. Philadelphia Inquirer
Environment: Congress, wade in. A plurality of the U.S. Supreme Court is confused about the federal intent to protect clean waters, the environment and Americans' health and welfare. Congress could help by drawing a clearer picture for court conservatives. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Shameful that EPA rules on mercury fail to protect. The Bush administration has decreed that some people in the country can be less safe than others. So much for equal protection. New Brunswick Home News Tribune